Have you had YOUR fat today?

I think we all know by now that not all fats are created equal.  There are fats and then there are, well, fats. The good fats are monounsaturated fats (or MUFAs).  MUFAs are found in plant foods such as olives, avocados, nuts, oils such as olive oil and safflower oil, and chocolate.*

One serving of a MUFA rich food with each meal can actually help you lose weight and get healthier!  Really!  In order for MUFAs to work their magic, though, you must pay attention to serving size:

One serving equals:

oil:  1 T

avocado: 1/4 c.

olives:  10 large

nuts: 2 tablespoons

chocolate: 1/4 cup (must be dark or semi-sweet--no cheating!*) 

Here's a recipe I've come up with that is tasty and will help you get your MUFAs.  Serving size: 1/3 cup.

 

Creamy Avocado Salad

1/2 ripe avocado, diced

1/2 small tomato, diced

10 black olives, sliced

lots of chopped chives

1 tablespoon bleu cheese crumbles

1 tablespoon ranch dressing.

Toss together and serve as a MUFA-rich side dish. 

Makes about three servings 

Comments

[ellen b]

Oh that looks very good...
Mufa with every meal I have to look into this...

It's pretty easy to do. Add a couple of tablespoons of pecans to a salad instead of croutons, make a simple oil and balsamic vinegar dressing, slice up a few olives into the salad, or add some cubed avocado--adding just one of these to a salad covers your MUFA addition.

Adding monounsaturated oils makes you feel fuller and holds off hunger longer.

[TulipGirl]

Ooooh! Looks yummy!